THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 08 The decision to end the As European French season early leagues plan confirmed PSG as Ligue 1 champions for restart, again will France regret PSG’s players during a training session (file photo) AFP | Paris ith the German Bun- desliga resuming stopping WSaturday and other leagues around Europe making preparations to restart after the coronavirus-induced suspen- sion, could France end up re- football gretting the decision to call an early end to its football season? That is the fear of Jean-Michel Aulas, the outspoken presi - dent of Lyon who had hoped season? Ligue 1 could still be played to a conclusion despite last week’s announcement by the French Prime Minister that it “cannot Rennes’ players celebrate at the end of the French L1 football match (file photo) restart” any time soon. “Why rush into saying it’s ing Lyon seventh, denying them Problem of Champions League than Schmid told AFP. difficult to play before August, European qualification. return Lyon have hinted at legal when we don’t know if other France is not alone. The action to try to overturn the countries are going to have Dutch season was abandoned, Ligue 1’s revenue in 2018 was French league’s decision, which the same judgement,” he told and Belgium is unlikely to re- barely half the Bundesliga’s may in any case have been mon- sports daily L’Equipe. “We start. 3.2 billion euros according to ey-motivated -- Ligue 1 has a should have done the political In contrast, the Bundesliga UEFA. Nor does France compare record new television deal rounds of the other four major will return on May 16, while favourably with its neighbour starting next season, so needed leagues.” Turkey, Hungary, Croatia and when it comes to the corona- as much certainty as possible Instead, the French league Serbia have set out resumption virus, with nearly 26,000 con- about when the 2020-21 cam- ended the season with 10 rounds dates. firmed deaths against 7,000 -- paign might begin. of matches unplayed, crowning Portugal is on track to resume, although deaths in the UK, Italy UEFA is determined to reduce Paris Saint-Germain champi- and Spain hopes to restart next and Spain are all higher. delays to the start of next sea- ons, relegating the bottom two, month. The Premier League is Nevertheless, it is under- son too, but still hopes to com- Moussa Dembele scores for Lyon to make it 1-1 against PSG Amiens and Toulouse, and leav- committed to finishing the sea- standable that France might plete the Champions League in son too, although the situation measure itself against Germany. August. That leaves Lyon and in Italy is less clear even if clubs They are the two largest econ- PSG in a bind, as both risk being have been given the green light omies in the European Union, badly underprepared having not to train again. with the largest populations. played since March. “The return of the Bundesliga There have been reports that PSG are into the quarter-finals, is great news for the football French President Emmanuel while Lyon lead Juventus 1-0 industry,” said Javier Tebas, the Macron wanted Europe’s oth- after their last 16 first leg. The president of Spain’s La Liga. er leading leagues to follow Lyon women’s team are also still Speaking to L’Equipe, Aulas France’s example, but German hoping to retain their Champi- suggested that, in contrast, Chancellor Angela Merkel em- ons League crown. French clubs now stood to phatically denied that any con- The Parisian club’s president, lose almost 700 million euros versations took place. Nasser al-Khelaifi, has even sug- ($755m) from ending the season In Germany they are aware gested a novel solution if the early. of football’s importance to French government does not “I have noted almost 10 Euro- the economy, with the sec - allow their matches to be staged pean countries where they have tor employing 56,000 people. on home soil. restarted training. So it really “The clubs don’t want to risk “We will play our matches makes you wonder. By adapt- everything. But it’s also impor- abroad subject to the best con- ing our methods, we probably tant to get back on track for ditions for our players and the Marseille’s Portuguese coach Andre Villas Boas (4-R) celebrate with Marseille’s French goalkeeper Steve Mandanda at the could have finished the season,” the economic survival of the safety of all our staff,” he said, end of a match (file photo) he said. clubs,” Freiburg player Jona- but that would hardly be ideal. Reuters | London Vettel, who arrived at Maranello from That pressure and frustration was Red Bull in 2015 as the replacement for evident in Canada last year when a time he writing has been on the wall for Spaniard Fernando Alonso, is paid a penalty dropped him from first to sec- TSebastian Vettel since September reported annual salary of $40 million. ond and he angrily replaced the number Leclerc’s rise 2018 when Ferrari announced Charles In return he has taken 14 wins over the one sign positioned post-race in front Leclerc as his Formula One team mate. past five years, only one more than in his of Hamilton’s car with the number two. The German, who will leave the Italian final 2013 season at Red Bull, to take his At Monza last year, with Leclerc on his meant the team at the end of a pandemic-hit 2020 career tally to 53. way to winning Ferrari’s home race from season that has yet to start, was top dog The German had hoped to emulate pole position, Vettel spun off and then at Maranello at the time but Leclerc was Michael Schumacher, a boyhood hero nearly took out Lance Stroll’s Racing writing was young, hungry and determined. who won five of his seven titles with the Point as he returned clumsily on track. Strapped into the red car for 2019, the sport’s oldest and most successful team, In Brazil, the two Ferrari drivers col- Monegasque -- now 22 -- outperformed but the closest he came was second over- lided and retired from the race. on the wall the four-times world champion on just all in 2017 and 2018. “In order to get the best possible re- about every measurement. In 2016 he was fourth overall, without sults in this sport, it’s vital for all parties He won more races (2-1), scored more a win, and last year he finished fifth, to work in perfect harmony,” Vettel said for Vettel points (264-240), started from more further away than ever to bringing Fer- on Tuesday. poles (7-2), stood on more podiums rari their first drivers’ title since Kimi “The team and I have realised that (10-9), had more fastest laps (4-2) and Raikkonen in 2007. Mercedes’ Lewis there is no longer a common desire to drew more applause than his 32-year- Hamilton has accelerated past him and stay together beyond the end of this old team mate whose status as the main is now a six-times champion on the cusp season. man slipped out of sight. of matching Schumacher’s record. “My immediate goal is to finish my By the end of the year, Leclerc had a Vettel has seemed ill at ease in the car, long stint with Ferrari, in the hope of new contract taking him through to the making costly errors both forced and sharing some more beautiful moments end of 2024 and was clearly the face of unforced. Some have questioned his mo- together, to add to all those we have the future. tivation and wondered about retirement. enjoyed so far.”.